Losing teeth can be a very emotional situation. The thought of missing a tooth can create anxiety, fear of how chewing will be, or make you feel older than you are. When it happens, the first thing people think of is, “Should I get dental implants?” So let’s talk about it and help to learn about your options.
There are several options to replace missing teeth. One treatment to correct missing teeth is to place a fixed bridge, which is also called a fixed partial denture. For a dental bridge, the teeth on either side of the space are used to support a missing tooth. A fixed bridge is a good option when the teeth on either side of a space needs significant dental treatment or when the bone of the missing tooth is atrophied. Dental bridges do have some compromises. You won’t be able to floss between the teeth involved, so you will need to clean underneath it with special floss threaders to keep it healthy. Also, if there is an issue with one tooth in the bridge, it affects all the teeth of the bridge. Dental implants are a preferred option to replace missing teeth because the final result of dental implants is most similar to natural teeth.
What are Dental Implants?
Dental implants serve to replicate the anatomy of natural teeth. Dental implants have three main components: 1) an implant in the bone which is similar to the roots of natural teeth 2) an abutment which is similar to a core buildup of a natural tooth and 3) a crown which is similar to the portion of the tooth above the gum line.
When a dental implant is completed the three components of a dental implant (the implant, abutment, and implant crown) will all look and function just like your natural teeth. A patient may even be unable to tell the difference between their natural teeth and the implant teeth.
Top 5 Reasons to Consider Dental Implants as your Tooth Replacement Option
1) Preserve or enhance your appearance. The teeth serve to preserve the bone of the jaw around them. After a tooth is extracted, the bone of the site begins a gradual process of narrowing and decreasing height. When your jawbone begins to shrink because of missing teeth, it often causes the face to change. Because the teeth and bone are not supporting the facial skin, the face begins to look sunken in and prematurely aged. People with several missing teeth or long term dentures often complain of having thin lips and sunken cheeks. Dental implants provide support to the facial structure and preserve the bone from decreasing. Restoring missing teeth keep your face looking full, healthy, and youthful.
2) Dental implant procedures have a high success rate. Dental implants are a dental treatment which has been performed for over 50 years. During the time since dental implants were invented, the procedure has continuously been researched and perfected. The long term viability of dental implants is affected by the patient’s health, the bone of the site, the expertise of the surgeon or cosmetic dentist, and the hygiene of the patient. All of these characteristics can be evaluated before treatment to minimize risk. The success rate of dental implants in healthy individuals now consistently reaches upward of 95% success rate.
3) Stop your teeth from shifting into the empty space. When you lose a tooth, the surrounding teeth lose their orientation. Like a fence missing a fence post, the teeth become less stable. The adjacent teeth to a missing tooth will eventually begin moving to fill in the space, and the teeth above or below may begin to migrate toward the space. The shifting of teeth can cause several dental complications such as TMJ symptoms, cosmetic concerns, and periodontal concerns. Although correcting a missing tooth is an investment, it can prevent further investment from eliminating the snowball effect of issues to the other teeth later on. Placing a dental implant now will help preserve the proper spacing of the remaining teeth and will prevent problems with your overall oral health.
4) Implant-supported dentures. When most people think of dental implants they think of replacing a single tooth, but what if a patient is missing multiple teeth? Dental implants can be used to replace multiple teeth with individual teeth, or they can be used to support a denture. The benefit of implant-supported dentures is that fewer implants can be used to support more teeth. For example, a patient missing fourteen top teeth could have four implants placed, and a customized denture can replace all fourteen missing teeth. To summarize, Fourteen teeth may be replaced by only four implants and one denture which equates to less surgery and less cost. There can be any number of combinations of missing teeth that can be replaced similarly with implant-supported dentures. The benefit of implant-supported dentures is securely replacing several teeth simultaneously without having to invest in an implant per tooth.
5) Dental implants may be partially covered by your dental AND medical insurance. Dental insurance covers procedures that are necessary and medical insurance covers procedures medically necessary. Because dental implants replace missing teeth, they are often considered dentally necessary, but not many people may realize they are often medically necessary. Dental implants can be considered medically necessary by medical insurance because they prevent or restore bone loss of the jaw which is known as disuse atrophy. Dental implants may also be needed as a result of trauma or an accident which also renders them medically necessary. Not many cosmetic dentists, periodontists, or oral surgeons are as well versed with medical insurance. You may need to research providers in your area who perform many dental implant procedures and are well versed in medical billing.
Contact The Best Dental Implant Dentist in Metro Boston, MA
For more information on dental implants visit a top implant dentist in your region. In the metro Boston area, Dr. Charles Sutera has established himself as an authority in implant dentistry due to his comprehensive expertise in TMJ, sedation, and full mouth smile makeovers. Contact Aesthetic Smile Reconstruction in Boston, MA for further information.
